Strategy and technology to prevent hospital-acquired infections:Lessons from SARS,Ebola,and MERS in Asia and West Africa

Hospital-acquired infections(HAIs) are serious problems for healthcare systems, especially in developing countries where public health infrastructure and technology for infection preventions remain undeveloped. Here, we characterized how strategy and technology could be mobilized to improve the effectiveness of infection prevention and control in hospitals during the outbreaks of Ebola, Middle East respiratory syndrome(MERS), and severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS) in Asia and West Africa. Published literature on the hospital-borne outbreaks of SARS, Ebola, and MERS in Asia and West Africa was comprehensively reviewed. The results showed that healthcare systems and hospital management in affected healthcare facilities had poor strategies and inadequate technologies and human resources for the prevention and control of HAIs, which led to increased morbidity, mortality, and unnecessary costs. We recommend that governments worldwide enforce disaster risk management, even when no outbreaks are imminent. Quarantine and ventilation functions should be taken into consideration in architectural design of hospitals and healthcare facilities. We also recommend that health authorities invest in training healthcare workers for disease outbreak response, as their preparedness is essential to reducing disaster risk.

Clinical Analysis of Hospital-acquired Bloodstream Infection in the Elderly

Objective: This study was designed to get epidemiological characteristics, etiology characteristics, prognosis assessment and prognostic factors of hospital-acquired bloodstream infection (HABSI) in the elderly in Chinese PLA General Hospital and aimed at providing a reference for HABSI in the elderly on clinical diagnosis and treatment to improve the prognosis. Methods: The clinical data and pathology data of 210 cases of the elderly patients with HABSI from 2009 to 2012 in geriatric wards were retrospectively analyzed. Compare the clinical assessment effects of APACHE-II score, SAPS-II score and SOFA score to HABSI prognosis in the elderly by plotting the receiver operating characteristic curve. Use univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to get prognostic factors of HABSI in the elderly. Results: Univariate analysis of mortality: Day 1 apache -> 18 II score, lung infection, invasive ventilation, chronic hepatic insufficiency, chronic renal insufficiency, substantive organ malignant tumor, deep venipuncture, indwelling gastric tube indwelling ureter, complicated with shock and acquired bloodstream infections in the elderly patients with 7 days survival state association is significant. Day- 1 SOFA score>7, chronic liver dysfunction, chronic renal insufficiency, concurrent shock, hemodialysis and 28-day survival status of patients with acquired bloodstream infection in elderly hospitals were significantly associated. Multivariate unconditioned logistic regression analysis related to death: Day-1APACHE-II score>18, parenchymal malignant tumors, and concurrent shock are independent risk factors for 7-day death in elderly patients with acquired bloodstream infection. Day-1 SOFA score>7, chronic renal insufficiency, and concurrent shock are independent risk factors for 28-day mortality in elderly patients with acquired bloodstream infection. Conclusion: The incidence of acquired bloodstream infections in the elderly was 1.37%. The 7-day and 28-day mortality rates were 8.10% and 22.38%, respectively. Concurrent shock is 26.7%. The 28- day mortality rate of concurrent shock patients was 48.21%. The best outcome score for the 7-day prognosis of elderly patients with acquired bloodstream infection was the Day-1APACHE-II score, followed by the Day-1 SOFA score. The best score for the 28-day prognostic assessment was the Day-1 SOFA score.

Risk factors of hospital-acquired pneumonia in patients with neurosurgical diseases:a Meta analysis

Objective To evaluate risk factors of hospital - acquired pneumonia in patients with neurosurgical diseases. Methods Totally 17 literatures from 2001 - 2009 were selected according to the criteria and assessed by Meta - analysis. The pools OR values of influencing factors

Positive sputum culture of Candida spp.as a risk factor for 30-day mortality in patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia:A propensity-score matched retrospective clinical study

Background:Candida species(Candida spp.)are commonly isolated microorganisms from lower respiratory tract(LRT)specimens of patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia(HAP);however,the clinical significance remains controversial.This study aimed to investigate the correlation between Candida spp.in the LRT and the clinical features and prognosis of HAP.Methods:This retrospective analysis included eligible patients with HAP from the database of a prospective study carried out between 2018 and 2019 in nine Chinese hospitals.Data on demographics,clinical characteristics,and prognosis were collected and analyzed.Propensity score matching(PSM)was used to balance the baseline characteristics.Results:A total of 187 HAP patients were enrolled.After PSM of severity score,27 cases with positive sputum culture of Candida spp.were compared with the control group at a ratio of 1:1.The Candida-positive group had more bacterial isolates in blood culture than the Candida-negative group(39.1%[9/23]vs.7.7%[2/26],χ^(2)=6.928,effect size[ES]=0.38,95%CI:0.12-0.61,P=0.008).The proportion of patients with chronic lung diseases was significantly higher in the Candida-positive group(55.6%[15/27]vs.22.2%[6/27],χ^(2)=6.312,ES=0.34,95%CI:0.07-0.59,P=0.012).The 30-day prognosis of HAP was significantly different between the two groups(80.8%[21/26]vs.38.5%[10/26],χ^(2)=9.665,ES=0.43,95%CI:0.19-0.66,P=0.002).Univariable logistic regression analysis showed that LRT Candida spp.colonization was a risk factor for 30-day mortality of HAP(OR=6.720,95%CI:1.915-23.577,P=0.003).Conclusions:Candida spp.in the LRT was associated with 30-day mortality of HAP.Patients with chronic under-lying lung diseases tend to have Candida spp.colonization.

神经外科多重耐药菌医院感染直接经济损失分析

目的 分析多重耐药菌(multi-drug resistant organism,MDRO)医院感染对神经外科住院患者住院费用和住院天数的影响,探讨MDRO医院感染造成住院费用差异的可能原因,为神经外科MDRO医院感染的管理与控制提供数据支持。方法 选取某大型三级甲等综合医院2019年1月1日—2019年12月31日住院、住院时间>48 h、住院费>1 000元的12 072例神经外科住院患者为研究对象,其中109例发生MDRO医院感染、其余患者11 963例。采用倾向指数匹配法(propensity score matching,PSM)对两组进行1:1匹配,对匹配后的病例组与对照组进行住院费用与住院日的统计分析,并用Blinder-Oaxaca分解法探讨造成住院费用差异的影响因素。结果 经PSM成功匹配108对,匹配成功率为99.08%。匹配后病例组与对照组在年龄、手术、疾病诊断等级、合并基础疾病、输血等方面差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。病例组住院总费用、日住院费用及各项费用支出均高于对照组(P<0.01)。MDRO医院感染造成的直接经济损失为10.87万元/例,其中西药费占比最大为6.37万元/例(58.63%)。病例组住院天数较对照组延长14 d(P<0.01)。住院天数的禀赋差异为58.25%,且MDRO医院感染患者住院费用对住院天数的敏感程度更强。耐碳青霉烯类肠杆菌科细菌(carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae,CRE)、耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus,MRSA)、耐碳青霉烯类鲍曼不动杆菌(carbapenems-resistant Acinetobacter baumanii,CRAB)、耐碳青霉烯类铜绿假单胞菌(carbapene-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa,CRPA)4组医院感染患者的住院天数与总住院费用无统计学意义(P>0.05),但CRE医院感染患者的治疗费高于CRAB、CRPA(P<0.05)。结论 MDRO医院感染显著增加神经外科住院患者的住院天数和住院费用,医院管理部门应采取有效防控措施,减少下呼吸道、CRE医院感染等发生,重点控制住院天数,进而减轻患者经济负担。

Nosocomial infections and their control strategies

Nosocomial infections are also known as hospital-acquired/associated infections. National Healthcare Safety Network along with Centers for Disease Control for surveillance has classified nosocomial infection sites into 13 types with 50 infection sites, which are specific on the basis of biological and clinical criteria. The agents that are usually involved in hospitalacquired infections include Streptococcus spp., Acinetobacter spp., enterococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Legionella and Enterobacteriaceae family members, namely, Proteus mirablis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens. Nosocomial pathogens can be transmitted through person to person, environment or contaminated water and food, infected individuals, contaminated healthcare personnel's skin or contact via shared items and surfaces. Mainly, multi-drug-resistant nosocomial organisms include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia, whereas Clostridium difficile shows natural resistance. Excessive and improper use of broadspectrum antibiotics, especially in healthcare settings, is elevating nosocomial infections, which not only becomes a big health care problem but also causes great economic and production loss in the community. Nosocomial infections can be controlled by measuring and comparing the infection rates within healthcare settings and sticking to the best healthcare practices. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides the methodology for surveillance of nosocomial infections along with investigation of major outbreaks. By means of this surveillance, hospitals can devise a strategy comprising of infection control practices.

Nosocomial spontaneous bacterial peritonitis antibiotic treatment in the era of multi-drug resistance pathogens: A systematic review

To systematically review literature upon aetiology of nosocomial spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (N-SBP) given the rising importance of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. METHODSA literature search was performed on MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases from 2000 to 15th of November 2016, using the following search strategy: “spontaneous” AND “peritonitis”. RESULTSThe initial search through electronic databases retrieved 2556 records. After removing duplicates, 1958 records remained. One thousand seven hundred and thirty-five of them were excluded on the basis of the screening of titles and abstract, and the ensuing number of remaining articles was 223. Of these records, after careful evaluation, only 9 were included in the qualitative analysis. The overall proportion of MDR bacteria turned out to be from 22% to 73% of cases across the studies. CONCLUSIONN-SBP is caused, in a remarkable proportion, by MDR pathogens. This should prompt a careful re-assessment of guidelines addressing the treatment of this clinical entity.

A Pilot Study of Quantitative Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification-guided Target Therapies for Hospital-acquired Pneumonia

Background： It is important to achieve the definitive pathogen identification in hospital-acquired pneumonia （HAP）, but the traditional culture results always delay the target antibiotic therapy. We assessed the method called quantitative loop-mediated isothermal amplification （qLAMP） as a new implement for steering of the antibiotic decision-making in HAP. Methods： Totally, 76 respiratory tract aspiration samples were prospectively collected from 60 HAP patients. DNA was isolated from these samples. Specific DNA fragments for identifying 11 pneumonia-related bacteria were amplified by qLAMP assay. Culture results of these patients were compared with the qLAMP results. Clinical data and treatment strategies were analyzed to evaluate the effects of qLAMP results on clinical data. McNemar test and Fisher＇s exact test were used for statistical analysis. Results： The detection of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Streptococcus pneumonia, and Acinetobacter baumannii by qLAMP was consistent with sputum culture （P 〉 0.05）. The qLAMP results of 4 samples for Haemophilus influenzae, Legionella pneumophila, or Mvcoplasma pneumonia （MP） were inconsistent with culture results; however, clinical data revealed that the qLAMP results were all reliable except 1 MP positive sample due to the lack of specific species identified in the final diagnosis. The improvement of clinical condition was more significant （P 〈 0.001） in patients with pathogen target-driven therapy based on qLAMP results than those with empirical therapy. Conclusion： qLAMP is a more promising method for detection of pathogens in an early, rapid, sensitive, and specific manner than culture.

Predictors of Clostridium difficile infection severity in patients hospitalised in medical intensive care

AIM:To describe and analyse factors associated with Clostridium difficile infection(CDI)severity in hospitalised medical intensive care unit patients.METHODS:We performed a retrospective cohort study of 40 patients with CDI in a medical intensive care unit(MICU)at a French university hospital.We include patients hospitalised between January 1,2007and December 31,2011.Data on demographics characteristics,past medical history,CDI description was collected.Exposure to risk factors associated with CDI within 8 wk before CDI was recorded,including previous hospitalisation,nursing home residency,antibiotics,antisecretory drugs,and surgical procedures.RESULTS:All included cases had their first episode of CDI.The mean incidence rate was 12.94 cases/1000admitted patients,and 14.93,8.52,13.24,19.70,and8.31 respectively per 1000 admitted patients annually from 2007 to 2011.Median age was 62.9[interquartile range(IQR)55.4-72.40]years,and 13(32.5%)were women.Median length of MICU stay was 14.0d(IQR 5.0-22.8).In addition to diarrhoea,the clinical symptoms of CDI were fever(>38℃)in 23 patients,abdominal pain in 15 patients,and ileus in 1 patient.The duration of diarrhoea was 13.0(8.0-19.5)d.In addition to diarrhoea,the clinical symptoms of CDI were fever(>38℃)in 23 patients,abdominal pain in 15 patients,and ileus in 1 patient.Prior to CDI,38patients(95.0%)were exposed to antibiotics,and 12(30%)received at least 4 antibiotics.Fluoroquinolones,3rdgeneration cephalosporins,coamoxiclav and tazocillin were prescribed most frequently(65%,55%,40%and 37.5%,respectively).The majority of cases were hospital-acquired(n=36,90%),with 5 cases(13.9%)being MICU-acquired.Fifteen patients had severe CDI.The crude mortality rate within 30 d after diagnosis was 40%(n=16),with 9 deaths(9 over 16;56.3%)related to CDI.Of our 40 patients,15(37.5%)had severe CDI.Multivariate logistic regression showed that male gender[odds ratio(OR):8.45;95%CI:1.06-67.16,P=0.044],rising serum C-reactive protein levels(OR=1.11;95%CI:1.02-1.21,P=0.021),and previous exposure to fluoroquinolones(OR=9.29;95%CI:1.16-74.284,P=0.036)were independently associated with severe CDI.CONCLUSION:We report predictors of severe CDI not dependent on time of assessment.Such factors could help in the development of a quantitative score in ICU’s patients.

Risk factors for corticosteroid insufficiency during the sub-acute phase of acute traumatic brain injury

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction may lead to the occurrence of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency.Critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency can easily occur after traumatic brain injury,but few studies have examined this occurrence.A multicenter,prospective,cohort study was performed to evaluate the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the incidence of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency during the sub-acute phase of traumatic brain injury.One hundred and forty patients with acute traumatic brain injury were enrolled from the neurosurgical departments of three tertiary-level hospitals in China,and the critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency incidence,critical-illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency-related risk factors,complications,and 28-day mortality among these patients was recorded.Critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency was diagnosed in patients with plasma total cortisol levels less than 10μg/dL(275.9 nM)on post-injury day 4 or when serum cortisol was insufficiently suppressed(less than 50%)during a dexamethasone suppression test on post-injury day 5.The results demonstrated that critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency occurred during the sub-acute phase of traumatic brain injury in 5.6%of patients with mild injury,22.5%of patients with moderate injury,and 52.2%of patients with severe injury.Traumatic brain injury-induced critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency was strongly correlated to injury severity during the sub-acute stage of traumatic brain injury.Traumatic brain injury patients with critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency frequently presented with hemorrhagic cerebral contusions,diffuse axonal injury,brain herniation,and hypotension.Differences in the incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia,gastrointestinal bleeding,and 28-day mortality were observed between patients with and without critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency during the sub-acute phase of traumatic brain injury.Hypotension,brain-injury severity,and the types of traumatic brain injury were independent risk factors for traumatic brain injury-induced critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency.These findings indicate that critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency is common during the sub-acute phase of traumatic brain injury and is strongly associated with poor prognosis.The dexamethasone suppression test is a practical assay for the evaluation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function and for the diagnosis of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency in patients with traumatic brain injury,especially those with hypotension,hemorrhagic cerebral contusions,diffuse axonal injury,and brain herniation.Sub-acute infection of acute traumatic brain injury may be an important factor associated with the occurrence and development of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency.This study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University,China in December 2011(approval No.201189).

Performance and comparison of assessment models to predict 30-day mortality in patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia

Background:Hospital-acquired pneumonia(HAP)is the most common hospital-acquired infection in China with substantial morbidity and mortality.But no specific risk assessment model has been well validated in patients with HAP.The aim of this study was to investigate the published risk assessment models that could potentially be used to predict 30-day mortality in HAP patients in non-surgical departments.Methods:This study was a single-center,retrospective study.In total,223 patients diagnosed with HAP from 2012 to 2017 were included in this study.Clinical and laboratory data during the initial 24 hours after HAP diagnosis were collected to calculate the pneumonia severity index(PSI);consciousness,urea nitrogen,respiratory rate,blood pressure,and age≥65 years(CURB-65);Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II(APACHE II);Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA);and Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(qSOFA)scores.The discriminatory power was tested by constructing receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves,and the areas under the curve(AUCs)were calculated.Results:The all-cause 30-day mortality rate was 18.4%(41/223).The PSI,CURB-65,SOFA,APACHE II,and qSOFA scores were significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors(all P<0.001).The discriminatory abilities of the APACHE II and SOFA scores were better than those of the CURB-65 and qSOFA scores(ROC AUC:APACHE II vs.CURB-65,0.863 vs.0.744,Z=3.055,P=0.002;APACHE II vs.qSOFA,0.863 vs.0.767,Z=3.017,P=0.003;SOFA vs.CURB-65,0.856 vs.0.744,Z=2.589,P=0.010;SOFA vs.qSOFA,0.856 vs.0.767,Z=2.170,P=0.030).The cut-off values we defined for the SOFA,APACHE II,and qSOFA scores were 4,14,and 1.Conclusions:These results suggest that the APACHE II and SOFA scores determined during the initial 24 h after HAP diagnosis may be useful for the prediction of 30-day mortality in HAP patients in non-surgical departments.The qSOFA score may be a simple tool that can be used to quickly identify severe infections.

A report on infection dynamics of inducible clindamycin resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from a teaching hospital in India

Objective:To investigate the infection of hospital-and community-acquired"erythromycininduced clindamycin resistant"strains or D-test positives of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus)(with and without methicillin resistance)in a hospital.Methods:Strains of S.aureus isolated from clinical specimens were subjected to D-test and antibiotic profiling.Results:Of the total 278 isolates,140(50.35%)were D-test positives and the rest were D-test negatives.Further,of 140(100%)pesitives,87(62.14%)and 53(37.85%)strains were from males and females,respectively.Of 140(100%)pesitives,117(83.57%)were methicillin resistant S.aureus and23(16.42%)were methicillin sensitive S.aureus;of 140 strains,103(73.57%)strains front persons with and 37(26.42%)were without related infections;of 140 strains,91(65%)and 49(35%)were from hospital-and community-acquired samples,respectively.In 140 strains,118(84.28%)with comorbidities and 22(15.71%)without comorbidities cases were recorded;similarly,persons with prior antibiotic uses contributed 108(77.14%)and without 32(22.85%)positive strains.These binary data of surveillance were analyzed by a univariate analysis.It was evident that the prior antibiotic uses and comorbidities due to other ailments were the determinative factors in D-test positivity,corroborated by low P values,P=0.001 1 and 0.0024,respectively.All isolates(278)were resistant to17 antibiotics of nine groups,in varying degrees;the minimum of 28%resistance for vancomycin and the maximum of 97%resistance for gentamicin were recorded.Further,of 278 strains,only42(15.1%)strains were resistant constitutively to both antibiotics,erythromycin resistant and clindamycin resistant,while 45(16.2%)strains were constitutively sensitive to both antibiotics(erythromycin sensitive,and clindamycin sensitive).Further,of the rest 191(68.7%)strains were with erythromycin resistant and clindamycin resistant,of which only 140(50.35%)strains were D-test positives,while the rest 51(18.34%)strains were D-test negatives.Conclusions:In view of high prevalence of D-test positive S.aureus strains,and equally high prevalence of multidrug resistant strains both in community and hospital sectors,undertaking of D-test may be routinely conducted for suppurative infections.

Acinetobacter baumannii:An emerging pathogenic threat to public health

Over the last three decades, Acinetobacter has gained importance as a leading nosocomial pathogen, partly due to its impressive genetic capabilities to acquire resistance and partly due to high selective pressure, especially in critical care units. This low-virulence organism has turned into a multidrug resistant pathogen and now alarming healthcare providers worldwide. Acinetobacter baumanni(A. baumannii) is a major species, contributing about 80% of all Acinetobacter hospital-acquired infections. It disseminates antibiotic resistance by virtue of its extraordinary ability to accept or donate resistance plasmids. The procedures for breaking the route of transmission are still proper hand washing and personal hygiene(both the patient and the healthcare professional), reducing patient's biofilm burden from skin, and judicious use of antimicrobial agents. The increasing incidence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and carbapenemases in A. baumannii leaves almost no cure for these "bad bugs".To control hospital outbreaks of multidrug resistantAcinetobacter infection, we need to contain their dissemination or require new drugs or a rational combination therapy. The optimal treatment for multidrug-resistant A. baumannii infection has not been clearly established, and empirical therapy continues to require knowledge of susceptibility patterns of isolates from one's own institution. This review mainly focused on general features and introduction to A. baumannii and its epidemiological status, potential sources of infection, risk factors, and strategies to control infection to minimize spread.

Bacterial co-infection in patients with SARS-CoV-2 in the Kingdom of Bahrain

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic presents a significant challenge to the medical profession,increasing in the presence of microbial coinfection.Bacterial and Fungal co-infections increase the risk of morbidity and mortality in patients with COVID-19.AIM To study the bacterial profile in patients with COVID-19 who needed admission to receive treatment in the main centres concerned with managing COVID-19 disease in the Kingdom of Bahrain.METHODS The study was a retrospective observational analysis of the bacterial profile and the bacterial resistance in patients with confirmed COVID-19 disease who needed admission to receive treatment in the main centres assigned to manage patients with COVID-19 disease in the Kingdom of Bahrain from February to October 2020.We used the electronic patients’records and the microbiology laboratory data to identify patients’demographics,clinical data,microbial profile,hospital or community-acquired,and the outcomes.RESULTS The study included 1380 patients admitted with confirmed COVID-19 disease during the study period.51%were admitted from February to June,and 49%were admitted from July to October 2020,with a recurrence rate was 0.36%.There was a significant increase in bacterial and fungal co-infection in the second period compared to the first period.The most common isolated organisms were the gram-negative bacteria(mainly Klebsiella pneumoniae,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii,and Escherichia coli),the grampositive bacteria(mainly coagulase negative Staphylococci,Enterococcus faecium,Enterococcus faecalis,Staphylococcus aureus)and fungaemia(Candida galabrata,Candida tropicalis,Candida albicans,Aspergillus fumigatus,Candida parapsilosis,Aspergillus niger).The hospital-acquired infection formed 73.8%,61.6%,100%gram-negative,gram-positive and fungaemia.Most of the hospital-acquired infection occurred in the second period with a higher death rate than communityacquired infections.CONCLUSION Bacterial and fungal co-infections in patients admitted with confirmed COVID-19 disease pose higher morbidity and mortality risks than those without coinfections.We should perform every effort to minimize these risks.

Status and Progress in the Control of Infection in Chinese Hospitals

This paper summarizes the characteristics and control of hospital-wide infections as identified by domestic surveys and research studies. This review also provides references to establish the basis for the control and management of hospital-acquired infection. Hospitalacquired infections are mainly initiated by Gram-negative bacteria and mainly localize in the lower respiratory tracts of patients. The intensive care unit has the highest infection rate among all hospital departments. Infants and the elderly are the most susceptible groups of patients to infection. Hands are an important route of pathogen transmission. The abuse of antibacterial drugs is an important factor of hospital-acquired infection. To control hospital-acquired infections, a sound management system should be established. In addition, medical staff, especially newcomers and interns, must receive strengthened training to improve their knowledge of hospital-acquired infection. Hand hygiene and the rational use of antibacterial drugs should be emphasized.

Physical restraint use rate and total fall and injurious fall rates: An exploratory study in two US acute care hospitals

This exploratory study used archived hospital data to investigate the relationships between the percentage of patients with physical restraints and the total fall rate as well as the injurious fall rate per 1000 patient-days. The two tested research questions were 1) What is the relationship between the restraint use rate and the total fall rate? 2) What is the relationship between the restraint use rate and the injurious fall rate? The results showed that a higher restraint use rate was associated with a higher total fall rate, yet a lower injurious fall rate in adult inpatient acute care settings. In efforts for fall and injurious fall prevention, front-line managers need to balance the frequency and appropriateness of physical restraint use with optimizing patients’ physical activity. Future research should explore the cause–effect relationship between physical restraint use and consequent injurious fall incidents.

Clinical application of lung CT in diagnosis and treatment for hospital-acquired pneumonia of cardiac surgery patients

Background Hospital-acquired pneumonia （HAP） is the most common and most serious nosocomial infection for cardiac surgery patients, with high incidence and fatality ratel. It is important for cardiac surgeons to correctly identify HAP, assess the severity, and then adjust anti-infection method, which can reduce the mortality rate, shorten hospitalization time, and reduce the waste of medical resources. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the application value of lung CT in diagnosis and treatment of HAP after cardiac surgery. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted for clinical data about 76 cardiac surgery patients who were diagnosed with HAP during January to December 2013. The clinical data mainly included symptoms, physical signs, laboratory examinations （such as routine blood tests and serum procalcitonin）, and lung CT and X-ray data. Our focus is on the comparison between lung CT and X-ray data. Results The positive diagnostic rate, false negative rate, and false positive rate of lung CT were 71/76 （93.4%）, 5/76 （6.6%）, and 1/76 （1.3%） respectively. The coincidence rate of X-ray and CT was 45/76 （59.2%）, and the false negative rate of X-ray was 23/76 （30.3%）. Conclusion Lung CT is better than X-ray in diagnosis of HAP after cardiac surgery and assessment of severity, and has greater significance for guiding the rational useof antibiotics. Therefore, lung CT is worthy of application and popularization.

Antibacterial activity and mechanism of X33 antimicrobial oligopeptide against Acinetobacter baumannii

Acinetobacter baumannii is a pathogenic bacterium widespread in human environments,especially in intensive care units,and is associated with high morbidity and infection rates.Multiple drug resistance in A.baumannii frequently leads to the death of patients,making the development of multi-effect antibacterial agents against this bacterium a research hotspot.We have previously found that the X33 antimicrobial oligopeptide can effectively inhibit the growth of Penicillium digitatum and Candida albicans.Herein,we evaluated the antibacterial activity of X33 antimicrobial oligopeptide against A.baumannii by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration,inhibition zone,and growth curve.The increase in extracellular alkaline phosphatase and the leakage of intracellular compounds confirmed the effect of X33 antimicrobial oligopeptide on the cell wall and membrane.Changes in reactive oxygen species,malondialdehyde,ATP,reducing sugar,soluble protein,and pyruvate content demonstrated that the incubation with X33 antimicrobial oligopeptide affected energy metabolism and oxidative stress.Consistent with the physiological characteristics,transcriptomics analysis indicated that incubation with X33 antimicrobial oligopeptide significantly induced changes in the expression of 2339 genes,including 1262 upregulated and 1077 downregulated genes,which participate in oxidative phosphorylation,ribosome,quorum sensing,fatty acid degradation,glycolysis/gluconeogenesis,and citrate cycle pathways.These results provide a fundamental basis for investigating the mechanism of X33 antimicrobial oligopeptide as a potential drug against A.baumannii.

Prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia through care bundles:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Ventilator-associated pneumonia(VAP)represents a common hospital-acquired infection among mechanically ventilated patients.We summarized evidence concerning ventilator care bundles to prevent VAP.Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed.Randomized controlled trials and controlled observational studies of adults undergoing mechanical ventilation(MV)for at least 48 h were considered for inclusion.Outcomes of interest were the number of VAP episodes,duration of MV,hospital and intensive care unit(ICU)length of stay,and mortality.A systematic search was conducted in the MEDLINE,the Cochrane Library,and the Web of Science between 1985 and 2022.Results are reported as odds ratio(OR)or mean difference(MD)with 95%confidence intervals(CI).The PROSPERO registration number is CRD42022341780.Results Thirty-six studies including 116,873 MV participants met the inclusion criteria.A total of 84,031 participants underwent care bundles for VAP prevention.The most reported component of the ventilator bundle was head-of-bed elevation(n=83,146),followed by oral care(n=80,787).A reduction in the number of VAP episodes was observed among those receiving ventilator care bundles,compared with the non-care bundle group(OR=0.42,95%CI:0.33,0.54).Additionally,the implementation of care bundles decreased the duration of MV(MD=−0.59,95%CI:−1.03,−0.15)and hospital length of stay(MD=−1.24,95%CI:−2.30,−0.18)in studies where educational activities were part of the bundle.Data regarding mortality were inconclusive.Conclusions The implementation of ventilator care bundles reduced the number of VAP episodes and the duration of MV in adult ICUs.Their application in combination with educational activities seemed to improve clinical outcomes.

Comparison between hospital- and community-acquired septic shockin children: a single-center retrospective cohort study

Background We explored the differences in baseline characteristics, pathogens, complications, outcomes, and risk factorsbetween children with hospital-acquired septic shock (HASS) and community-acquired septic shock (CASS) in the pediatricintensive care unit (PICU).Methods This retrospective study enrolled children with septic shock at the PICU of Beijing Children’s Hospital from January1, 2016, to December 31, 2019. The patients were followed up until 28 days after shock or death and were divided intothe HASS and CASS group. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for mortality.Results A total of 298 children were enrolled. Among them, 65.9% (n = 91) of HASS patients had hematologic/oncologicdiseases, mainly with Gram-negative bacterial bloodstream infections (47.3%). Additionally, 67.7% (n = 207) of CASSpatients had no obvious underlying disease, and most experienced Gram-positive bacterial infections (30.9%) of the respiratoryor central nervous system. The 28-day mortality was 62.6% and 32.7% in the HASS and CASS groups, respectively(P < 0.001). Platelet [odds ratio (OR) = 0.996, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.992–1.000, P = 0.028], positive pathogendetection (OR = 3.557, 95% CI = 1.307–9.684, P = 0.013), and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (OR = 10.953, 95%CI = 1.974–60.775, P = 0.006) were risk factors for 28-day mortality in HASS patients. Lactate (OR = 1.104, 95% CI = 1.022–1.192, P = 0.012) and mechanical ventilation (OR = 8.114, 95% CI = 1.806–36.465, P = 0.006) were risk factors for 28-daymortality in patients with CASS.Conclusions The underlying diseases, pathogens, complications, prognosis, and mortality rates varied widely between theHASS and CASS groups. The predictors of 28-day mortality were different between HASS and CASS pediatric patientswith septic shock.